No Matter What
by EmilyandPixie
Summary: Thorin, Fili, and Kili all survive the battle, and Bilbo and Thorin start spending even more time together. What happens as Thorin realizes he's starting to have feelings for the hobbit?
1. Chapter 1

"You are called for." Gandalf said, leading Bilbo into the tent behind him. Thorin Oakenshield was laying on a cott covered in injuries.

"So you are alive! I was beginning to worry about you when they said they hadn't found you." Thorin said upon seeing Bilbo.

"It'll take more than a knock to the head to end me." The hobbit said. He went to the dwarf's side and sat on the ground beside the cot.

"I feared I wouldn't be able to apologize for my behavior earlier." the king said, attempting to sit up. Bilbo gently pushed him back onto the bed when he groaned in pain.

"You need your rest, Thorin." Bilbo said quietly. Thorin looked at him for a few moments before slowly holding his hand and drifting into an unpeaceful sleep. Bilbo was surprised when Thorin pulled him onto the cot and against his side in his sleep. He struggled against the dwarf's heavy arm but found it impossible to get up.

"Well Mister Baggins, it seems you're stuck until he wakes." Gandalf chuckled before leaving the tent. Bilbo sighed and settled against Thorin's side, allowing sleep to claim him.

When Thorin woke up, the first thing he was aware of was an unfamiliar pressure against his side. He looked and saw that Bilbo Baggins was snuggled against him with his own arm around the little hobbit. The dwarf king didn't have it in him to wake the hobbit, as he looked more relaxed and peaceful in his sleep than Thorin had seen him since the beginning of their quest.

He laid there in silence, periodically looking down at Bilbo to see if he had woken or not. After he had been awake for a while, Gandalf walked into the tent. The wizard smiled fondly at Bilbo's sleeping form.

"The company are anxious to return to Erebor as soon as you feel fit enough to be carried, Thorin. They want to have you and the other wounded in proper rooms to treat you." Gandalf said quietly, to avoid waking the hobbit.

"As soon as Bilbo wakes, then." Thorin replied.

"If I'm not mistaken, he had fallen asleep soon after you pulled him onto the bed with you, and that's been hours ago." the wizard said, smiling. Thorin's eyes widened when the wizard revealed that he had pulled the hobbit onto the bed himself. "Why so surprised? You don't really think he would have climbed into the cott on his own? He's far too timid when it comes to contact for that."

"Well the moment he wakes, I want us to set out." Thorin said, changing topics. Gandalf ducked out of the tent again to tell everyone. Thorin gazed down at the sleeping hobbit again. He still couldn't get used to seeing pointy ears sticking out of the short curly hair, or the lack of facial hair. Of course there was also the fact that the hobbit was shorter and more delicate than any dwarf could ever hope to be.

It wasn't long before Bilbo stirred. Thorin immediately pulled his arm from around the hobbit. Bilbo slowly opened his eyes and blinked quickly when he realized he was face to face with the dwarf king.

"Oh dear. I'm terribly sorry, Thorin. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." Bilbo said, jumping up.

"It's quite alright, Bilbo. Though you should prepare to be leaving. it was decided we would set out as soon as you woke." Thorin said, uncharacteristically smiling. The hobbit hurried to find Gandalf to let him know that he was awake.

Later when they reacked Erebor, the wounded were settled into the best rooms, while everyone else found the best they could. Many of the rooms had been ruined while Smaug had been there, but everyone still managed to find rooms. Bilbo surprised everyone when he insisted on having the room closest to Thorin. When asked as to why, he simply said it was because he had a fair knowledge on healing and didn't sleep as heavily as the dwarves did so he could help if Thorin required anything throughout the night.

The next day, the dwarves that were capable started rebuilding the destroyed parts of the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo attempted to help, but was sent to tend to the wounded when he proved to do nothing but get in everyone's way. The hobbit went around checking on everyone before heading to Thorin's room. He knocked before entering quietly.

Thorin was sleeping, but it looked like he was in the middle of a nightmare as he kept twitching and jerking around. After a moment, he screamed, sitting straight up and his eyes opened wide. Bilbo stood in the doorway, unsure of if he should leave or stay and try to comfort the king. Thorin was panting heavily, but calmed down when he noticed Bilbo in the room.

"Is everything alright?" Bilbo asked.

"Yes, master Baggins. It was just a bad dream." Thorin replied. Bilbo rushed to the bed and plumped the pillows so the king could sit and rest his back against them.

"Do you need anything? I can bring you food, or bathe your wounds if they are bothering you." Bilbo asked.

"Actually, Bilbo, I think I would like for you to tell a story to me." Thorin replied. So Bilbo told him stories that were often told to children at bedtime in the Shire. He noticed that for once, the dwarf seemed to hang onto his every word.

They both lost track of time until another dwarf came in bringing supper for the both of them. Thorin had some kind of meaty stew, while to Bilbo's delight, the dwarves had made honey bread for the hobbit. They sat in silence while eating. Once they finished, Bilbo excused himself and took the plates to the kitchen to be washed before returning to his own room.

Meanwhile Thorin laidback in his bed. Being alone had never bothered him before, but since Bilbo left his room, the silence was too much. All that ran through his head was memories of the battle and the fallen dwarves. He growled in frustration before bellowing for Bilbo to come back. The hobbit came running through the door.

"What' wrong, Thorin?" Bilbo asked.

"Will you talk to me until I sleep? All I keep thinking about in the silence is the battle." Thorin requested. Bilbo settled into the chair beside his bed and began telling stories once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:**

 **So…writing it in third person was extremely hard for me to show feelings and thoughts. So it's first person from now on. However, I do not have the mind of a guy, so please excuse me if I make their thoughts too feminine.**

Chapter 2

OIN'S POINT OF VIEW

I was making rounds to all the dwarves who had been wounded in the battle. I saved Thorin for last, knowing that he would be cross with me if I had woken him at an early hour. When I at last entered the king's room, I was shocked at what I saw.

Thorin was in his bed, but Bilbo Baggins was sitting in the chair beside it, slumped over with his head near Thorin's arm. I slowly backed out of the room, not wanting to wake the two of them and cause an awkward scene. I ran into Dwalin as I was exiting the room.

"What made you leave in such a hurry?" Dwalin asked.

"The king had company last night, and I didn't want to wake them." I replied. Dwalin looked confused, so I enlightened him. "Our favorite hobbit was sleeping in the chair beside him."

"Mahal, Oin. You made it sound as if he had romantic company!" Dwalin laughed. I shushed him incase his laughter carried to the room, and continued down the hall.

BILBO'S POV

I awoke in mild discomfort from being in a slumped over position. I groaned and opened my eyes, pushing myself up straight. I was shocked to say the least when I realized that though I was in the chair beside his bed, my head had been resting beside Thorin's arm. I got up quietly and snuck out of the room to avoid waking the wounded dwarf king.

I made my way to the kitchen, hoping to find some food to calm my growling belly. When I walked in, I Dwalin and Oin were giving me strange looks, but none of the others seemed to pay attention. I sat down beside Balin, and quickly ate some bacon and toast that was set in front of me. Oin got up and hurried off, muttering about seeing to Thorin's wounds then. Oh, so that's why I was getting weird looks…he had probably walked in and seen me sleeping beside the king.

After I was finished with breakfast, I made my way back to my room, wanting to be where the dwarves would think to look incase I was needed. Not long after I had returned to my room, I heard Thorin bellow out in pain. I rushed to his room, and found Oin rubbing some sort of paste into the wounds.

"Can I help?" I asked. Oin looked at me before pointing to the end of the bad near Thorin's head. I immediately understood what he meant, and went to the king's side.

"You can squeeze down on my hand if you need to." I said quietly.

"Do I look like a woman in labor, Master Baggins? I think not." Thorin grumbled. As soon as Oin put more paste on him, however, he reached out and took my hand, squeezing on it rather roughly. I winced in pain at the pressure but kept silent.

"I had thought that the wounds would have scabbed over by now, but they haven't my king. Which means you need stitches." Oin said, preparing needle and sinew. I prepared myself, knowing it was going to hurt me as well when he squeezed down on my hand.

Sure enough, Thorin continuously just squeezed harder and harder on my hand as the stitching progressed. But never once did he utter a sound. Once Oin was finished working on the king, he exited the room, glancing back at us in a peculiar way.

"Thorin, do you need anything that I can help with?" I asked after a moment.

"Perhaps some tea and toast?" the king asked. I nodded and hurried off to the kitchens. No other dwarf was present, so I rushed about making the tea, and buttered some toast before returning to Thorin's side.

"Here you go, my king." I said, helping him sit up and placing the tray on his lap.

"Thank you, Bilbo. Your kindness is most appreciated by me, especially after I treated you so cruelly in the past." Thorin said.

"The past is done with, Thorin, and I'm not going to judge you for it. What matters is how you act now, not how you acted then." I replied. "Though I do believe if you are alright for a while, that I'm going to go bathe and find new clothes to change into."

A few days went by with the same routine. I'd help Oin tend to the wounded, eat breakfast with Thorin, explore the parts of Erebor that were not currently being reconstructed, then return to Thorin in the evening to keep him company and often fall asleep in the chair beside him. Erebor was slowly starting to look like its old self room by room, but it was far from being completed, and the wounded were healing. Kili and Fili were already up on their feet, as were most of the dwarves that had been injured. Thorin and a few others remained at that point, and they were all close to being healed enough to not be bedridden much longer.

Thorin and I quickly developed a bond. I would say friendship, but it was deeper than that. We didn't announce our undying love for one another, but I was becoming acutely aware of how I was gaining feelings for the dwarf king. However, I had no intention of ever sharing those feelings outloud with him, for fear of being rejected and looking like an idiot. I was more concerned about looking like a fool to the king, than anything. And I was going to avoid that at all costs. I was more than happy enough remaining just friends with the king, as long as it meant that I got to be in his life.

I was growing homesick for the Shire as well, causing an internal battle of whether I should stay in Erebor with the dwarves I had come to consider as friends and the King I had grown so fond of, or whether I should return to Hobbiton and live a normal life once more. I knew it was too rough of a journey to make on my own, so i was saved from making the decision until someone else announced they were heading out that way, which I didn't look to happen any time soon.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **Again, sorry if I made the thoughts too feminine. And sorry if it's awful. All reviews are welcome, but if they're bad reviews, please be kind when criticizing please. This is the first time I've done a strictly male story in first person, and I'm not sure how good of a job I'm doing. Also, sorry for it being short, I'll try to make up for it with the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

BILBO'S POV

I had officially been in Erebor for a little over a month. All of the wounded were finally healed and up and moving, including Thorin. Everyone was excited that the king was finally in perfect health and there was to be a feast tonight. Since Thorin was doing his kingly duties, and until that point most of my day had consisted of making sure he had everything he needed and keeping him company, I didn't know what to do with myself.

I made my way down to the library, deciding to try to find a good book to read. To my displeasure, though, most of the books were in the dwarves' tongue. I managed to find a few in the common language and took a couple back to my room. I lost myself in one particular story, and was brought back to reality by a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I called. To my surprise Fili and Kili burst into the room.

"The feast begins in a few minutes, master Boggins." Kili said, causing me to laugh when he used the name he had called me when they first met.

"Oh dear. I lost track of time while reading. I have to get ready!" I exclaimed, jumping up.

"We brought an outfit for you. Since you're surrounded by dwarves, we thought you may like to try a dwarvish style." Fili said, handing me a bundle of clothing. The brothers exited the room, leaving me to get ready. I put the clothes on and was surprised to see how well they fit. After brushing my hair, I set off.

Once I got to the feast, I saw that there we're little, if any, empty seats. I scanned the long table and saw that the only empty spot left was next to Thorin himself. I knew that kings often had their spouses sit beside them, and if not then the next in the royal line filled the seat, so I wondered if I should take the seat.

"Bilbo! Sit beside me!" Thorin called, answering the question for me. I hurried to the seat by his side. Balin was on his other side and Fili was beside me. Although I still hadn't grown accustomed to eating mainly meat, I had to admit the food was amazing.

THORIN'S POV  
When the time for the feast came around, I was surprised that Fili and Kili entered my room. They insisted that I wear the clothes they brought me before disappearing. I grumbled to myself, wondering what they we're up to as I changed. Once I got to the dining hall, I sat at one end of the table and watched as more dwarves filed in.

I knew something was definitely up when Fili and Kili arrived, leaving a set in between Fili and I, instead of Fili taking the seat directly to my left as he normally would have. "What is the meaning of all of this?" I asked.

"Nothing, uncle." Fili answered, his eyes twinkling. I growled but left it at that. A couple of minutes later, my question was answered. Bilbo arrived, and the only empty spot was beside me. He was also wearing clothes that complimented mine. I looked at Fili and glared when I caught his eye, causing him tl smirk.

"Bilbo, sit beside me!" I called when I realized the hobbit was debating if he should take the empty seat or not. I noticed several dwarves gave us surprised looks as he sat down.

After a few minutes of eating, I glanced at Bilbo and noticed he was watching me out of the corner of his eye as well. He blushed when he noticed me looking and turned away. Fili caught my eye behind Bilbo's head and smiled brightly at me. I casually reached under the table and slowly interlocked fingers with Bilbo. The hobbit seemed surprised to say the least, but didn't say anything. I was happy that he didn't pull away, either.

I had been slowly growing feelings for the hobbit but hadn't known if I should act or if it was one sided. Apparently the brothers had known, since they gave us complimentary clothing and purposely had him sit beside me. For once I was glad for their meddling, but at the same time I was worried what the hobbit would say about it once we were away from everyone.

BILBO'S POV

Thorin was holding my hand. Thorin Oakenshield, king of the dwarves of Erebor, was holding my hand. I could only hope that meant that he returned my feelings. All of a sudden, butterflies erupted in my stomach so violently it almost made me sick. I pushed all thoughts aside and forced myself to finish the little bit of food I had left.

Once people began slowly leaving the dining hall, I began to wonder if I should try talking to Thorin or just to return to my room. Thorin seemed to read my thoughts.

"If you wish, we can talk. If not then I wont push you." He said quietly so no one else would hear.

"I think I would like to talk, my king." I replied. He squeezed my fingers lightly before letting go altogether and standing up. I waited a moment before following him out of the hall. We walked down the corridors to near the library before he stopped and turned off to a side hallway.

"Bilbo, during the time you've kept me company since the battle, I have begun to grow feelings for you." Thorin said quietly. It was the words I never thought I'd hear him say. I looked at him and was surprised to see he was blushing.

"So have I, Thorin." I said. He leaned in and kissed my forehead before backing up a little.

"I intend to take things slow, Bilbo, and to court you properly." He said. I nodded.


End file.
